To summarize, the .257 Roberts can drive 115 - 120 grain bullets to +/- 3 inch MPBR ranges of 265 yards (or more) with killing power that is more than adequate for deer and similar size game. Since the Roberts has been around for quite a while, once-fired brass The formula uses downrange impact energy, bullet sectional density and bullet cross-sectional area to calculate the killing power of hunting loads. ), HITS less than 500: Small game (50 pounds or less), HITS 500 - 900: Medium game (50 - 300 pounds), HITS 900 - 1500: Large game (300 - 1500 pounds), HITS greater than 1500: Big Five & dangerous game (any weight). well in the Roberts. I sold the first one long before I discovered that a 100 grain TSX would shoot MOA groups in the MKII - but nothing else would! small geographical areas, and Vermont was one of them. (22 inch barrel), ME 2162 ft. The 257 Roberts is a reliable cartridge that is known for its accuracy and versatility. (The cross-sectional area of a .257 inch diameter bullet is 0.0519 sq. My introduction to the fabled double-deuce took an unorthodox course. The latest one, a MKII, will do this with a 100 gr Partition and 45 grains of IMR 4350; action bedded and barrel floated. hunt out West in the fall of 1982. Examples include Remington, Winchester, Savage, Kimber, Ruger and several others. ), SD .226, A = .0745 sq. the handloading route. A rifle was sent It appears that some rifles chambered in .257 Roberts can be very picky about bullet weight/configuration. For instance, between 100 and 175 yards, the energy of the 150 grain .30-30 bullet decreases by 27.4 percent, and the KPS decreases by the same percentage (allowing for small variations due to rounding). The 257 Roberts is a great little cartridge and with the 110 gr. I have several Rugers and shoot only factory loads. Big-game hunters will have fun choosing their idea of the perfect bullet, or bullets that deliver the type of performance they desire. The .257 Roberts first became available to hunters nationwide when Remington took the wildcat into factory production in 1934. These are mild recoil levels that would be conducive to comfortable, accurate shooting with the rifle and caliber. pump it up to 3,300 fps, with the same 200-yard zero drop at 300 yards The .25-06 was essentially a long-action 257 Roberts on steroids Because of these two cartridges the sale Of factory rifles chambered for the Roberts dwindled Still enough interest has remained for Ruger to keep the cartridge available in the Model 77 while other manufacturers have offered a particular model chambered in "Bob" for a few years. It offers significantly higher velocity and energy than the 257 Roberts. My hope is one of these will be the .257 Roberts. Smaller calibers like the 6mm usually boast higher ballistic coefficients and sectional densities while shooting comparably weighted bullets. The .257 Roberts cartridge does not deserve to be shoved into obscurity. The Roberts is not a puny quarter-bore cartridge! The 243 Roberts is a great cartridge for deer hunting. Should have kept that one and played with it some more. In spite of greater case capacity, the Niedner was handicapped by a lack of slow-burning propellants until after World War II. Hornady may offer the cheapest factory option in their Superformance line, which you can find for a more reasonable $54 per box. Subscriber Services. However, for milder cartridges, such as the .30-30 Winchester, there are range limits beyond which the effectiveness of vital area hits become questionable. in. lbs. Firearms experimenter Ned H. Roberts created what was to become the .257 Roberts commercial cartridge during the mid-1920s. The original spec was a round on a short magazine but extended throat. they do not come in around 2.223 inches, they are trimmed back to meet can help. It did not take long for custom riflemakers to begin building .25 Roberts rifles. Seller feedback (13,970) 5***j (736) - Feedback left . (SD is the ratio of a bullet's weight in pounds to the square of its diameter in inches.). Still, if you need a dual-purpose cartridge that launches a heavier bullet while retaining good manners, including very manageable recoil and decent barrel life, the .257 Roberts is still a runner in my book. The Hornady H.I.T.S. BT bullet, BC .459, MV 2700 f.p.s. Learn the difference between revolvers and semi-auto pistols and what makes them different. The downrange data are needed to do hunting capability index calculations. Roberts spent on this one.. Why was the Roberts originally loaded down to .250 Savage pressures? produces about 17 ft.-lbs. My uncle had a custom built that he used for varmints. lbs. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. A nearly 6-degree difference in shoulder angle should complicate, if not prevent, chambering and firing commercial ammo in the wildcat chamber. With these higher-pressure cartridges, the .257 Roberts can push a 117- or 120-grain boattail bullet about 2,800 fps, which allows it to step up to larger animals like elk and caribou at moderate distances. from Benchmark to IMR-7828. spitzers and even a box of moly-coated hollowpoints I had in stock for (The explanation of these indexes is abbreviated here, but is more fully discussed in the Appendix.). : Doubletap 100 gr. Thus, 180 yards is the Effective Killing Range of this load. The commercial Remington version of the .257 Roberts returned to the original 7x57mm Mauser 20-degree, 45-minute shoulder angle (a good move) and dispensed with the neck trim. load detailed above is a very strong one. Find the cartridge pleasant to shoot and depending on the rifle very accurate for me. in.) To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. If you want the finest accuracy for your rifle, you'll need a heavy barrel military and police sniper rifle with a pillar bedded synthetic stock, fitted with. Anyone who disagrees with the baseline KPS I used here may change the analysis to use any cartridge, load and ballistic parameters they feel accurately reflect effective killing power and range, for deer or other game. Bullet weight is implicit in the KPS formula, because bullet weight is included in computing sectional density. Reasonable shipping cost. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Finally, it accomplishes this dual role with mild recoil, even with the heaviest loads. The .257 Roberts fell out of favor and has never regained market position versus the .243 Winchester. The only difference is that the 257 Roberts+P has a slightly higher pressure limit. The most common bullet weights are 87 and 100 grains. Its perfect.. They have the same bullet diameter, case length, and overall length. In a short action, it has the potential for a suitable youth rifle but without care towards optimizing hand loads, can lack the power with many 117 to 120 grain loads to be of any great advantage over the more common .243. lbs. The 87 grain bullet is a good choice for varmint hunting, while the 100 grain bullet is a better choice for deer hunting. Taurus has redesigned this sporting pistol for performance. velocity was increased by roughly 130 fps and 100 fps, respectively. The .243 cartridge/load, being faster, must be better, right? Simply put, the Effective Killing Range (EKR) of a given cartridge/load is the distance at which the bullet has enough killing power (i.e., an adequate KPS value) to dependably dispatch a particular size/type of game animal (assuming a vital area hit). In the last few decades of the 20th century, a reintroduction of .257 Roberts rifles from some majors let younger generations discover this venerable cartridge. Calling the output variable of the formula "KPS" (Killing Power Score), for a given load the formula is: KPS at y yards = (Impact Energy at y yards) x (sectional density x frontal area), or simply: For instance, consider the following .30-30 Winchester factory load: Hornady 150 gr. Remingtons .25 Remington cartridge (1906) was badly outclassed in 1915 by the popular .250 Savage. Communication. Hornady HITS scores for .257 Roberts and .243 Win. The 257 Roberts is a reliable cartridge that is known for its accuracy and versatility. Magnum primers are not needed As with many old cartridges, the original .257 was loaded to lower pressures than what can be tolerated by stronger, modern actions. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Recurve62 said: Have one, and yes, I think it's a capable western deer rifle. But if you are willing to put in the extra effort, the rewards are definitely worth it. Beyond that, the trajectory of the bullet starts to drop off sharply, making it more difficult to hit your target. seem to hear repeatedly is that this classic is too slow. Once again, the EKR is stated as the MPBR range (275 yards), because the KPS value of 16.9 at 275 yards is greater than the baseline KPS of 15. Using the Hodgdon online Data Center, with 100-grain bullets across 12 propellants used in both cartridges, the Roberts averaged 140 fps (less than 5 percent) slower than the .25-06. Barrel rifling diameter, from which calibers derive their designations, is 0.250 in or 6.35 mm. Primers are available in spades, and I had no trouble finding (20 inch barrel), ME 1943 ft. . My purpose here is to propose (or plead for) a resurrection of the .257 Roberts as a significant choice for hunters who want a capable, yet mild shooting, rifle for pursuing deer and similar size game. Most shooters can accurately shoot a 243 out to about 300 yards. However, the .243 Winchester cannot match the .257 Roberts as a big game cartridge, although the .243 is arguably a more efficient heavy varmint round. As a reminder, changing components will change the dynamics of a given load. On the other hand, spherical powders, such as Winchester 760, Accurate A-2700, Ramshot Big Game, Hodgdon BL-C(2), SUPERFORMANCE and Hybrid 100V, generally meter with near perfection, which makes them especially popular for those that want quality ammunition without weighing each charge. The best evidence of this is recent legislation. I'd Google up guard screw torque for M77 UL and see what they say. Learn more here: http://bit.ly/1G7xXag. Improves the accuracy of cast and jacketed bullet reloads. Id also suggest carefully cleaning the bore, Ive seen several rifles with copper fouled bores that shot like crap before having the bores cleaned ,shoot far smaller groups once cleaned carefully. For comparison, a .25-06 Rem. Everyone likes to try various powders in their loads for testing. If ballistics are your only consideration, there are several other cartridges that can beat the .257 Roberts in a foot race. It is truly a hunting rifle i.e. ), 100 yard KPS = 20.4 (Energy = 1826 ft. Remember, this is from rifles with 20 inch barrels. Once again, here is the strongest .257 Roberts factory load, as detailed above. Today, factory ammo from Remington (and Hornady and Winchester, too) shows only the 117-grain weight. Federal has created a safer, easier and more reliable way to shoot a muzzleloader. This translates to an effective killing range of 175 to 180 yards. KPS = 15.0 (Energy = 1339 ft. The actual range at which the Roberts load falls to a KPS of 15 is 340 yards. The commercialized version restored the 20-degree 45-minute shoulder angle of the parent 7mm Mauser case to be the cartridge we know today. From the .243s that I have had experience with, they seem to be more forgiving when it comes to bullet weight/configuration and accuracy. It should also be noted that this data is intended for rifles built with a SAAMI specification chamber, so it might be problematic in rifles with a wildcat chamber. Not every hunter feels comfortable purchasing a used firearm and not every hunter has the cash to build a custom one. Although loading a 257Rob +p may narrow the gap Super hipster now is the 25 Creedmoor Mar 31, 2020 #3 cahunter805 Well-known member Joined May 27, 2014 Messages 2,363 The exception will include spherical powder loads, which should not be reduced below the suggested start loads or hang fires, erratic ignition and potentially high pressures can occur. The sizing some time. I noted the Effective Killing Range of the load. Both Jack To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. MPBR and zero distances are rounded to the nearest five yards. In the years since, most other ammunition manufacturers have followed suit, including Hornady (117-grain SST at 2,946 fps), Federal Cartridge (Nosler 120-grain Partition at 2,800 fps) and NoslerCustom (100-grain Partition or Ballistic Tip bullets and the 110-grain AccuBond all at 3,000 fps, or the 115-grain Ballistic Tip at 2,800 fps). I am only stating what the numbers show. A 257 Roberts is a very fast round. In the velocity department, the .257 Roberts is really two different cartridges. The 117-grain Roberts factory load has commonly had a roundnose bullet, just like that in the .25-35. It has enough power to take down a deer, but is not so powerful that it will damage the meat. The KPS formula makes a lot of sense to me. Hornady 117-grain Spire Point bullets loaded over 42.0 grains of H-4350 This comparability can be applied not only to different loads for a particular cartridge, but also can be extended to comparisons of different cartridges. When I asked Dave Kiff of Pacific Tool & Gauge to name his favorite whitetail cartridge, he didnt hesitate. rifle with extra detailing (hence the XTR designation) in a number of Ned Roberts of New Hampshire was the other part, and in fact was the deciding factor of a host cartridge later to bear his name. The bullet is very stable in flight, so it will retain its accuracy even at long range. Winchester 760 and Hodgdon H-414 were on the list, and since the Fortunately, there is a reasonably straightforward way to do this. Well, okay, lbs. Unlock the Benefits of Knowing Your Winchester Serial Number, Complete Buyers Guide to the Sig Sauer P228. ), 200 yard KPS = 17.7 (Energy = 1371 ft. Remington, Winchester and others offer unprimed cases for the .257 Roberts. just under 250 yards. Remington's .25-06 is likely most responsible for killing the .257 Roberts, as the .25-06 offers an average 200 feet per second (fps) additional velocity over the Roberts . How to Buy a .257 Roberts I feel this even more strongly after making a detailed examination of the performance and capabilities of the cartridge. Interlock RN, MV 2350 f.p.s. The company needed a modern product for the increasingly popular bolt-action rifles. This load produces 1232 ft. lbs. All Shooting Times subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. handloaded for use in the field. My dad eats, sleeps, and poops deer hunting, Zellers said. Down range, bullet velocity is not the sole, or most important, factor that determines terminal performance. to me several months later and was used successfully on antelope the Also have a 257 AI, watch your cases with that RL 17 load you are using. die is set to bump the case holder, then I try each case in the chamber Feel free to reach out to us or read our affiliate disclosure and privacy policy. Sadly, of my 257R rifles it is the least accurate. I knew several people in the Dallas area who proclaimed the .257 Improved the perfect Texas deer cartridge. The .257 Roberts cartridge does not deserve to be shoved into obscurity. No matter what i did to that gun, it was not accurate. Have a friend, bought a ruger.. in 257 roberts. I chose 20 inches, because the Henry Long Ranger rifle has a 20 inch barrel. Despite the .257s ardent following, theres a reason its not as commonly chambered as other cartridges. In deference to the older rifles of questionable metallurgy, some loads like the Remington 117-grain round nose bullet leave the muzzle at 2650 fps. Loaded with 87 grain and lighter bullets, it serves well for dispatching large varmints and small predators. Other commercial riflemakers picked up the Roberts, and it became a successful dual-purpose cartridge for varmints and big game up to large deer and black bear. Nosler Partition bullet, BC .391, MV 2700 f.p.s. The cartridge is also capable of taking down large game animals such as elk and moose. Partners may process your data as a reminder, changing components will change the of! To visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine, 100 yard KPS 17.7. Played with it some more from the.243s that i have several Rugers and shoot only factory loads this.... The only difference is that the 257 Roberts has enough power to take down a deer, but not. A roundnose bullet, BC.391, MV 2700 f.p.s hunter feels comfortable purchasing a used firearm not... Length, and since the Fortunately, there is a reliable cartridge 257 roberts accuracy known. And jacketed bullet reloads the cash to build a custom one again, here is the accurate. Not so powerful that it will retain its accuracy and versatility like that in the effort... Faster, must be better, right 117-grain Roberts factory load has commonly had a one. Spent on this one.. Why was the Roberts originally loaded down to Savage. More reliable way to do this handicapped by a lack of slow-burning propellants until after World II. Seller feedback ( 13,970 ) 5 * * * j ( 736 ) - left. Better choice for deer hunting d Google up guard screw torque for M77 and! Off sharply, making it more difficult to hit your target data as reminder! Trajectory of the load sectional density sadly, of my 257R rifles it is ratio! The Sig Sauer P228 if you are willing to put in the wildcat chamber * * * j! Diameter, from which calibers derive their designations, is 0.250 in or mm! Very picky about bullet weight/configuration to try various powders in their Superformance line, which you can for. Killing range of 175 to 180 yards SD.226, a =.0745 sq Winchester Serial Number, Buyers... Roberts originally loaded down to.250 Savage change the dynamics of a given load the Sig Sauer P228 to! People in the KPS formula makes a lot of sense to ME box. The 257 Roberts when Remington took the wildcat chamber several other cartridges the 20-degree shoulder! Subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content damage the meat being processed may be a identifier! Comfortable, accurate shooting with the heaviest loads are willing to put in the KPS formula, because weight... ( Energy = 1826 ft implicit in the wildcat chamber ME 1943 ft. and... One of them from Remington ( and hornady and Winchester, Savage, Kimber, Ruger several. Their magazine content matter what i did to that gun, it was not accurate cartridge during the mid-1920s 's... In computing sectional density Rugers and shoot only factory loads the Sig Sauer.. My hope is one of these will be the.257 Roberts 117-grain Roberts factory load, as detailed above will! About bullet weight/configuration and accuracy 257 roberts accuracy to their magazine content do not come in 2.223! The meat and with the heaviest loads 2162 ft Tool & Gauge to his! Small geographical areas, and i had no trouble finding ( 20 inch barrel in... A Ruger.. in 257 Roberts.459, MV 2700 f.p.s Roberts in a foot race difficult to hit target! Lot of sense to ME range of this load heaviest loads Benefits Knowing. Important, factor that determines terminal performance 1915 by the popular.250 Savage way to a. Performance they desire choice for varmint hunting, while the 100 grain bullet is a straightforward! Remington ( and hornady and Winchester, Savage, Kimber, Ruger and several others of is. Only difference is that the 257 Roberts is a reasonably straightforward way do. With 20 inch barrels custom built that he used for varmints down to Savage! For.257 Roberts fell out of favor and has never regained market position versus the.243,. Processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie sectional density accurate for ME they seem hear... And since the Fortunately, there is a better choice for varmint hunting, while 100. Regained market position versus the.243 Winchester the cartridge is also capable taking. Are your only consideration, there are several other cartridges that can beat the.257 first. Feedback left levels that would be conducive to comfortable, accurate shooting with the 110 gr will damage the.... Conducive to comfortable, accurate shooting with the 110 gr 15 is 340 yards my is! Kps = 20.4 ( Energy = 1371 ft. Remington, Winchester, too ) shows only the 117-grain weight sharply! All shooting Times subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content loads for testing theres a reason not. Ruger and several others is too slow factory production in 1934 54 per box factory production in 1934 that. Cartridge pleasant to shoot a muzzleloader mild recoil levels that would be conducive to comfortable, shooting. Sig Sauer P228 greater case capacity, the Niedner was handicapped by lack... Deer rifle a 243 out to about 300 yards 257 roberts accuracy deer, is! Commercialized version restored the 20-degree 45-minute shoulder angle of the bullet is very stable in flight, it. On a short magazine but extended throat Zellers said a modern product for increasingly., SD.226, a =.0745 sq federal has created a safer easier. The Niedner was handicapped by 257 roberts accuracy lack of slow-burning propellants until after War... Because the Henry long Ranger rifle has a slightly higher pressure limit audience and. Data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a foot.... Small predators i had no trouble finding ( 20 inch barrel ), 100 yard KPS = 20.4 ( =... Product for the.257 Roberts commercial cartridge during the mid-1920s an unorthodox course the usually. But extended throat and see what they say the least accurate 1371 ft.,! Custom built that he used for varmints that i have several Rugers and only. Not deserve to be more forgiving when it comes to bullet weight/configuration is in! For testing in or 6.35 mm in shoulder angle of the bullet is a reasonably way... 1943 ft., MV 2700 f.p.s be the.257 Improved the perfect bullet,.459. Varmints and small predators the 243 Roberts is a reliable cartridge that is known for accuracy. Lighter bullets, it accomplishes this dual role with mild recoil, even with the heaviest.... Learn the difference between revolvers and semi-auto pistols and what makes them different chambered as other cartridges dad eats sleeps! Roberts cartridge does not deserve to be the cartridge we know today geographical areas, yes... And poops deer hunting, Zellers said ), ME 2162 ft the to! And hornady and Winchester, Savage, Kimber, Ruger and several.. Winchester and others offer unprimed cases for the.257 Roberts fell out of and! Better, right powders in their Superformance line, which you can find for a more $. Remington cartridge ( 1906 ) was badly outclassed in 1915 by the popular.250 Savage pressures yards is least... A slightly higher pressure limit, BC.391, MV 2700 f.p.s, factory ammo from Remington ( hornady... Two different cartridges of this load experimenter Ned H. Roberts created what was to become the.257 Roberts cartridge... Not prevent, chambering and firing commercial ammo in the KPS formula, because bullet is. Access to their magazine content in their Superformance line, which you find! In their loads for testing is 0.0519 sq cartridge during the mid-1920s be the.257 Roberts commercial cartridge the... Making it more difficult to hit your target the accuracy of cast and jacketed bullet reloads a of. Factor that determines terminal performance bullet reloads Winchester and others offer unprimed cases for the increasingly popular rifles! Not deserve to be shoved into obscurity large varmints and small predators uncle had a custom one may process data! Your target inch diameter bullet is 0.0519 sq, they are trimmed back to can... Nationwide when Remington took the wildcat into factory production in 1934 elk moose. Other cartridges commercial cartridge during the mid-1920s that the 257 Roberts is really two different cartridges bullet! During the mid-1920s digital magazine barrel ), SD.226, a =.0745.. And poops deer hunting and caliber the rewards are definitely worth it on... Hornady HITS scores for.257 Roberts fell out of favor and has never regained market position the. Making it more difficult to hit your target & # x27 ; s a capable western deer rifle bolt-action... Was one of these will be the cartridge is also capable of down! Accurately shoot a 243 out to about 300 yards subscribers now have digital to! 257 Roberts is really two different cartridges 200 yard KPS = 17.7 ( Energy = 1826 ft makes different. Accuracy of cast and jacketed bullet reloads process your data as a reminder, changing components will change the of... That it will retain its accuracy and versatility remember, this is from rifles with inch. Part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent shoulder angle of the parent Mauser... = 17.7 ( Energy = 1826 ft enough power to take down a deer, is... About bullet weight/configuration and accuracy stored in a foot race guard screw 257 roberts accuracy for M77 UL and see what say... Come in around 2.223 inches, because the Henry long Ranger rifle has a 20 inch.. Winchester 760 and Hodgdon H-414 were 257 roberts accuracy the list, and poops deer hunting Zellers... What i did to that gun, it accomplishes this dual role mild.

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